Office of Rep. Edcel C. Lagman
Independent-Albay
07 March 2012
0916-6406737 / 0918-9120137
The authors and supporters of the reproductive health bill (HB No. 4244) welcome the move of the House leadership to call for a vote before the Lenten recess-the termination of the long-winding and repetitive interpellations on the controversial measure.
Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, the principal author of the bill, said that “after 12 years of debate inside and outside the Halls of Congress, all relevant and even irrelevant questions had been asked and answered about the RH bill. There is absolutely no fresh argument or novel misconception against the bill.”
The precursor of the current bill was filed in 1999 during the 11th Congress as HB 8110. Every Congress thereafter, similar or allied bills have been filed and discussed.
It has been observed that “many registered themselves as interpellators but when their time comes to confront the sponsors, they either conveniently absent themselves or feign not being prepared,” Lagman added.
The authors of the bill are calling on all prospective interpellators to rise and question the sponsors during the remaining session days before a closure of the debates is made.